Chosen
by FlameOfIllumination
Summary: Season Seven's finale, with a slight twist. Darkness and a bit of fluff. W/F


**Some Willow/Faith, for the fans;) Post Finale**

"Now? As in, right now? You think now is the best time?"

"What's wrong with now?"

"With the Apocalypse coming tomorrow? With Buffy still in general Stalin mode?

"Yeah. She can spazz out, sure, but she can't kill me. She needs me to die tomorrow."

Willow sat up, looking curiously at the brunette slayer.

"You don't really believe that do you?"

"What?"

"That you and the Potentials are just here as...cannon fodder?"

"More like bricks." Faith replied tersely.

Willow tried to interrupt but Faith held up a hand.

"We're the wall. All of us. And don't try to tell me B will be crying any tears over my death."

There was a pause.

Anyway, you changed the subject. Why don't you want to tell her?"

Willow looked her in the eyes.

"I want to. I want to shout it from the rooftops. Only not literally. Cause me and heights, bad idea. There was this Spiderman thing and Xander used a hammock and...Yeah, Oww."

Faith rolled her eyes, resisting the urge to laugh.

"But I think something like this...I want time. I want the old Buffy back first. The one who'd sit and talk with me, and be weirded out, sure, but also supportive. I'm afraid this Buffy won't even care! She'll just look at me and wonder why I'm interrupting planning time to tell her something unrelated."

Faith shrugged, but Willow didn't notice.

"OK. Sure. We wait."

Willow looked at Faith sharply.

_I wonder if she understands why? I get that she didn't have many friends growing up, but it's at times like this when I really see it._

"As long as you understand-"

"Are we gunna fuck soon?"

Willow huffed. "Faith! Aren't you worried about tomorrow? I'm worried about you, afraid of losing you, afraid of losing me...and you act like it's just another day. Like nothing matters."

"Red...unless we win tomorrow, nothing does."

Willow took a step backwards, face clearly revealing her hurt.

Faith walked towards her, grasping Willow's wrists gently and looking her straight in the eyes.

"Doesn't mean I don't care. I'll be there, grounding you, like I said I would. I just can't...I mean, if we die tomorrow, what does it matter what I say tonight?"

Willow looked at her, slowly, it dawned on her what Faith had been driving at.

Faith let go, stepped back. "I want it to mean everything."

* * *

***

"Red? I can't be beside you. I have to hold the line with B. Ken's gunna stay with you, bring the Scythe when you're done."

Willow shook her head in silent denial. "I can't. What if I can't do it?"

Kennedy, waiting in the background, gripped the scythe tightly. Her lips pressed firmly together, she watched Faith and Willow together with a hint of jealousy, tightly reigned in.

The Potential walked away, towards the principal's office where she would be watching Willow work. As she left, she heard Faith's reply, and stumbled over a fallen beam.

"My girlfriend, not be the most kick ass witch ever? No way."

***

* * *

There was no warning for any of the Potentials. Faith, fighting next to a girl from Thailand whose name she'd never been able to pronounce, was concentrating too hard on her own fight to notice the exact moment when whatshername started hitting harder, faster, better. All she knew was suddenly the bond she shared with B changed. It was still there, a constant awareness of each other, but suddenly she was flooded with little bursts of warmth. Like a match, each new Slayer shone brightly for a moment, giving Faith that little bit of extra juice. Glancing over, she saw Buffy, obviously sharing the experience. The feeling faded in a matter of seconds, and the fight went on.

Kennedy joined them with a yell, tossing the Scythe to Buffy, and head butting a Turok Han to the ground.

A fierce smile on her face, the oldest of the Potentials revelled in her new strength.

Buffy went down. Faith saw it through a haze of what might have been sudden tears. She dashed them away with shock and anger, and came to her side. A whirlwind of emotions kept her looking steadily at Buffy even after the other slayer gave her the Scythe.

Even after Buffy handed over something much heavier than a weapon. "Hold the line."

Faith shook her head in unconscious denial of Buffy's injury; the slayer saw it and interpreted it differently.

"Please. Protect them."

The slayer's head dropped, though she continued to mutter. Faith caught only one of the short lists of names. "Willow."

Then she charged back into the fray, swinging the scythe right and left her brain singing one word. "Death."

She threw the scythe, feeling pain at its loss and pride as others used it. She fought on, Turok-Han ashes clothing her. She fought on, as Buffy stood up, slayer healing kicking in, and she felt fierce determination come through their bond. The two slayers fought on, amongst the others, until the roof began to shake, until pillars collapsed and she looked up to see Spike surrounded by a yellow glow. The New slayers ran ahead of her as she waited for B.

At last, when it seemed Buffy had determined to go down with her pet vampire, Faith left. Every step through the dark building, every staggering meter was another step closer to Willow. And when she stumbled through the smoke and saw the yellow school bus still waiting for her, everyone else on board, a sudden rush of joy lifted her steps.

Once she had two feet on the bus, it took off, Giles putting his pedal to the metal for once. Behind them, the town collapsed, and somewhere up above, Faith could feel Buffy coming.

As she collapsed into a seat, she didn't even spare a glance for the town turning into a sinkhole all around her. Her eyes went unerringly to Willow, who had her arm around Xander. The one eyed man looked like he'd been crying.

With difficulty, she restrained herself from going to the witch.

As the bus shuddered to a halt, she jumped off the bus with the people who were actually from Sunnydale.

"Looks like the Hellmouth is officially closed for business."

Giles shook his head slightly. "There is another one in Cleveland... Not to spoil the moment."

The talk went back and forth for a few moments, everyone trying not to think about the dead and wounded waiting on the bus.

"Yeah, you're not the one and only chosen anymore. Just gotta live like a person. How's that feel?"

Buffy turned and looked at Faith. "I haven't been the one and only for four years."

"And what about you? What are you gunna do now?" she countered.

Faith glanced at Willow, questioningly. The redhead came towards her and slipped her hand into Faith's.

Buffy sucked in a deep breath, and got a lungful of Californian desert sand. She started gasping and choking, coughing up the sand. Faith cracked up, followed shortly by everyone in view.

When Buffy finally emerged from her spasm, red faced, Faith was thumping her on the back, and Willow and Xander had an arm around each other, smiling, and talking in an undertone.

They reboarded the bus, Buffy getting a sardonic round of applause for her performance that had her red-faced again.

"Please, someone, throw up, take the attention off me." she joked, embarrassed.

Willow and Faith looked at each other. Faith got a certain glint in her eyes.

"No Faith." Willow whispered. "Not here. I'm not a public display kinda person. We're on a bus. Impressionable minds all around."

Faith took a step towards her.

"I'm covered in dust, maybe asbestos!"

* * *

Buffy fainted. She woke to another round of applause from the slayers, who'd wolf whistled enthusiastically as Willow and Faith kissed.

Buffy looked at Willow. "You and I need a serious conversation. I'm thinking chocolate muffins, I'm thinking mocha's."

Then she looked at Faith, "Be good to her."

Faith rolled her eyes, grinned, and said, sincerity ringing from every syllable, "I will be."

**Cleaning out my gig stick I found this. Not the best thing I've ever written but a few of you have asked for more Faith/Willow so here you go:)**


End file.
